Day 2
We started the day with breakfast in the hotel, a good selection of hot and cold dishes were on offer in the pleasant restaurant. Setting out, it was a cold, sunny morning and our first stop was to the top of Wawel Hill to visit Wawel Castle built between the 13th and 14th centuries. The castle consists of several buildings built around a central courtyard. There are fine views from the castle walls of the Vistula river which is Poland’s longest.
Leaving the castle we walked along the river, crossing one of the road bridges and a little further on we came to Kazimerz, the Jewish quarter and we then explored this neighbourhood. A highlight here for first time visitors is Oscar Schindler’s Enamel Factory Museum devoted to the wartime experiences during the period of Nazi rule. I have visited the museum twice before and would highly recommend it. We wandered the cobbled streets, visited the old synagogue and enjoyed lunch in an attractive small restaurant that we discovered on our last visit.
Our lunch of French Onion soup, toasted sandwiches and a pot of tea was delicious and cost less than £3 each.
We slowly made our way back to the town centre and headed to the stylish shopping mall Galeria Krakowska near the railway station. We looked around several stores before stopping for cappuccinos in one of the cafes. Then it was back to the huge main square, Rynek Glowny, covering 10 acres it is the largest and one of the most beautiful of European squares.
In the centre lies the impressive Rennaissance Cloth Hall which is now used to sell local crafts and gifts.
We looked around the charming Christmas market and warmed ourselves with mugs of mulled wine which tasted delicious and cost about £1.20 each. We were not hungry but passing the food stalls were unable to resist and bought ourselves large sausages (£1.50) each and sat at one of the nearby wooden tables to eat our snack. It was then back to our hotel for a short rest before eating dinner in a nearby restaurant. We ended the evening with a last look at the festive market and returned to our hotel after an enjoyable day in this charming small city.
Day 3
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast then took a walk through the Planty garden before checking out of our hotel. The Best Western Krakow Old Town exceeded expectations and I would be happy to return for a future visit. We wandered back to the station with enough time for some Christmas shopping in the Galeria Krakowska mall before returning to the airport by train.
Our flight back home departed on time and in a little over two hours we were back in the UK after an enjoyable short visit to Kraków.
If you have enjoyed reading this series of posts on Kraków you may also like:
Wroclaw, Poland – a short break
Love Travelling Blog 
Oh my…. now I am excited and is looking so much forward to my exploration of Poland … thank you for the recommendations
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You will have a splendid time!
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Reading about your time in Krakow brings back good memories. I have visited many times over the years, and it is my favorite city! Visiting all the many churches in the Stare Miasto, and the trumpeter in St. Mary’s bell tower playing the Hejnał Mariacki is a fond memory.
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Thank you Marigold for your kind words and for taking the time to read my posts. Kraków is indeed very beautiful.
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Kraków is one of my favorite towns in Poland 🙂 Warsaw (where I’m from) is also nice. And if you have a little more time to visit Poland someday I definitely recommend to go to Mazury region – north-east – where you can find a bunch of lakes and beautiful landscapes 🙂
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Thank you for your suggestions, hopefully I can get to see more of Poland on my next visit.
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Just reliving a few happy memories via your post. 🙂 I haven’t been to the Oscar Schindler museum, but the one beneath Rynek Glowny is well worth a look if ever you’re back that way.
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Yes, I’ve been there too, it was fascinating to explore the excavations! Do try to visit the Schindler museum sometime if you can.
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I’ll be back in Krakow sometime this year, I expect. I have family there 🙂
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Your narration just made me add the place in my next travel plan !! 🙂
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I’m pleased you liked my post. Kraków is a lovely destination at any time of year.
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Two hours — such a short flight~^^
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Sounds wonderful, would love to visit the Jewish Quarter and the museum. The Christmas market looks perfect too.
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Yes, Joy it is a perfect city break at any time of year but perhaps a little more special at Christmad. I hope you will be tempted to visit as it’s not only lovely but extremely inexpensive, too!!
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Thank you, I enjoyed the spin through Krakow. The towers on the old Wawel Castle towers have stories to tell, I bet.
Oscar Schindler was a very brave man.
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Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed reading about Kraków. Yes, Schindler was very brave, I remembered seeing the film quite some years ago, too. Happy Christmad!
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What a great mini-break. The Oscar Schindler’s Enamel Factory Museum sounds like something I would definitely visit. I still remember crying hysterically when I went to see Schindlre’s List at the movies as a teen..
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Krakow is the next city on my list and your posts are just making me want to go now!
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That’s such a nice thing to say, thank you! I’m sure you will enjoy Kraków.
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